


1st reconnaissance battalion + 1

by wellyesbutactuallyno



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Basically everyone loves courier six, Caring, Comfort, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Mild Blood, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mojave Wasteland (Fallout), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Rape/Non-con, no beta we die like real men, sorry I'm bad at tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27470467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellyesbutactuallyno/pseuds/wellyesbutactuallyno
Summary: Cory let out a huff of a laugh before nodding, pulling her other knee up and leaning against a cargo box. “Okay, okay...you guys ever remember hearing about that wondrous courier who made a miraculous recovery out of Goodsprings?’The 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and Boone learn about Courier Six's past for the first time.Alternatively titled: The 1st reconnaissance battalion has only had Courier Six for one day, but if anything happened to her they would kill everyone in this wasteland and then themselves
Relationships: Craig Boone/Female Courier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1st reconnaissance battalion + 1

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiii okay I am obsessed with this fandom and for Boone/F! Courier so pls enjoy! <3

Only a week at Camp McCarran, and Cory was exhausted, longing for the comfort of a stiff cot and some clean water. She groaned softly as she shifted the corpse of the dead NCR ranger back up onto her shoulder, carrying the fallen soldier in a fireman’s lift and cursing herself for agreeing to this in the first place. When Cory had heard the tale of Private Christina Morales and the unfortunate loss of her husband, her heart ached to bring some semblance of peace to the poor widow. She may be regretting it at the moment, but Cory knows it’ll all be worthwhile once she makes it back to Camp McCarran. Back to Boone. Speaking of... _ I wish I wouldn’t have told Boone to sit this one out _ , she thought to herself. The giant man’s strength would be greatly appreciated at this point. At the same time however, she was glad. Boone had looked...relieved. At home, almost. He looked happy for once, being surrounded by the people he used to call his brothers and sisters, so she offered to head out on this mission alone and give him some time to catch up with his fellow soldiers. All she had to do was retrieve a dead body, and honestly, how hard could that be?

A lot fucking harder than she thought apparently. Things went wrong the second she approached the REPCONN building. Apparently somebody tipped off the legion to her position, and she was attacked by  _ six _ different legionary assassins. Six. What is it with her and that godforsaken number? 

She made quick work of the first two she saw in the distance, their element of surprise ruined with their bright red headdresses, and fired two shots from her hunting rifle disposing of them quickly. It became a habit to make her shots count as ammo was expensive and scarce in the wasteland. She  _ didn’t  _ hear the asshole that managed to sneak up behind her, slashing at her arm with his machete. Thankfully, Cory has quick reflexes and turned sharply, swinging her rifle behind her as her strap landed across her chest, twisting the arm of the legionary and using him as a human shield for the next shots fired at her. Rex leapt at the one firing at her, gnawing at the ankle and taking the assassin down before finishing him off with a bite to the throat. With a pained grunt, she then used the machete dropped by the previous assassin to stab the legionnaire charging her before pulling the spear from his hand and impaling the other one. By the time the two NCR soldiers standing watch realized what had happened, the six assassins all laid dead at her and the robo dog’s feet. 

Despite the fact that they  _ literally just saw her murder six different assassins _ , they still felt the need to tell her that the upcoming area was dangerous, crowded with raiders and active mines, and by the time she had managed to convince them to let her through, the raiders were aware of her presence. With a  _ much _ longer gunfight than she would have preferred, she finally disposed of the surrounding enemies and located an NCR ranger’s corpse. She brought it back to the two soldiers only to discover that it was the wrong _ fucking body.  _ Then, the rangers told her (after she returned with Esteban’s body) that they would only be able to bring back one body as they were already suffering from a lack of soldiers. So, Cory left Ranger Jackson’s body in their mostly capable hands, and began carrying Esteban’s body back on her own. 

She glanced up, pulling herself from her misery as she grew closer to the lights of the New Vegas strip. An hour and a half later, and she was finally back at Camp McCarran. The second she had entered the gate, another soldier was pulling Esteban’s corpse from her shoulders, and a part of her could’ve cried from the relief. The man nodded at her, pride and appreciation shining brightly in his eyes. “The boys stationed at REPCONN radioed ahead, let us know you’d be coming soon...That was a real swell thing you did for Morales.” 

Cory offered him a smile, rolling her stiff shoulders. “You can take it from here?” The soldier nodded before quickly hurrying off with the body, eager to reunite husband and wife. 

Glancing down at her pip boy, she realized how late it was. While she is normally aware of her surroundings, she had completely walked on autopilot. The moon raised high in the sky, the wind picking up the chill of the desert and she shivered. Boone and the others were most likely asleep by now. She reached down to pat Rex on the head before walking towards the tents that held the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, where she and Boone had been staying while they helped out around the fort. She stumbled slightly, her arm still throbbing from her wound as she approached the tent, hearing soft laughter as she turned the corner and found the Battalion plus Boone sitting around a small fire. Boone noticed her first. “Hey. Was wondering when you’d be back.” He said, nodding in her direction. 

She offered him a tired smile, pulling her armor off of her torso and dropping it beside her, her beige long sleeved shirt giving away her injury. She winced, gesturing to her arm. “Yeah. Got a little caught up.” 

Boone’s eyebrows shot up, masked concern spreading across his face as he gently tugged on her leg to guide her next to him, waiting for her to sit down before reaching for her pack and pulling out some bandages and alcohol. “What happened? I thought it was just a recovery mission.” He asked sternly, the other soldiers quieting their banter to listen to the courier. 

“Legion Assassins. Don’t know how, but they knew where I was going.” She slowly pulled up her sleeve, revealing the gnarly gash she’d received from the machete. Boone grimaced. They had previously heard rumors about there being a mole in Camp McCarran, and judging by the ambush she survived the mole was quickly becoming a threat. “You shouldn’t have gone alone.” He muttered, not giving her any warning as he poured the liquid into her open wound. 

Court swore sharply, reaching a hand up through her short brown hair. “Jesus, Boone!” She whined, her arm flinching as he told her to sit still. “I was fine,” She continued, “Rex and I handled it. Didn't we, handsome?” 

Rex lifted his head, his tail wagging at her change in tone before laying down next to her side so she could reward him with well deserved belly rubs.

Corporal Betsy shook her head. “Only you could make an easy task a difficult one.” The sniper leaned over, pulling a Nuka-Cola out of a mess of empty whiskey bottles, passing it to her. It warmed Cory’s heart and she realized that they were probably all waiting up on her in the first place. 

Cory scoffed, nodding her thanks before twisting the cap off. “Easy my ass! There were  _ two _ bodies, not one, so I ended up having to carry Esteban’s body back myself!” 

Betsy spit out the sip she was drinking. “By  _ yourself? _ You carried a  _ corpse  _ across the Mojave fuckin’ wasteland, are you serious?” 

Cory felt the eyes of the astonished soldiers on her, and merely shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well...someone had to get Esteban’s body back. And the other ranger, ranger Jackson? He had to get back to his family too.” 

Boone signed again. “Shouldn’t have gone alone. This’ll need stitches.” Cory groaned, shaking her head as Boone pulled out the medical thread and needle. The sight of it made her queasy. “Ugh, please, someone start talking before I puke, I absolutely  _ despise _ stitches.” 

Betsy saved her, God bless her soul, spiraling into old war stories when she was greenie, fresh out of training. Gorobets chimed in occasionally, offering a charmed smile as he over explained a time when Betsy embarrassed all of them by hitting on  _ Carrie Boyd  _ before they knew who she was. Cory giggled, shaking her head as she covered her mouth, “I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised, Bets! You did offer to spend your leave with me the  _ second  _ I met you.” 

  
  


Betsy nodded, looking at her pointedly. “And I  _ meant _ it. I would give up leave for a year if it meant I got a roll in the sheets with you.” Cory laughed, a cackling sound that she tried to cover before she woke up any of the sleeping soldiers. 

10 of Spades snorted, snickering behind his wrap while Gorobets face palmed, causing Cory’s giggles to spiral into laughter again. Sterling shook his head fondly, taking another sip from his flask of whiskey as Bitter-Roots smiled at the sight, the silent man enjoying the company around him. Boone shook his head, ignoring the sudden pang of jealousy that spread throughout his stomach at the thought of Cory sleeping with someone else. That wouldn’t do. He glanced up at the girl’s face, admiring her smile for a moment before pulling himself back to the task at hand, pulling himself back to reality. Cory isn’t his. Never will be. With his track record, she’ll be someone else that he’ll have to lose, and it will be his fault. 

Cory was able to focus enough on the laughter that spread throughout the group as Boone finished bandaging her arm, nodding at his completed work with an, “All done.” 

10 of Spades glanced over at Cory, taking a long sip of a sunset sarsaparilla. “Tell u-us, Cory, you got any wild stories? You k-know, any daring, dumb s-shit you did as a kid?” 

Cory shrugged, pulling her sleeves back down to cover her dry hands. “No, sorry. I’ve got nothing.” She reached down, taking a sip of her cola. Betsy scoffed. “Bullshit. C’mon! Give us something new, we hear the same old boring ass stories every day.” Sterling frowned, looking at Betsy with an offended expression as laughter fluttered through the group again. 

Cory shook her head again, laughing at Betsy’s antics. “No, really! I don’t have anything interesting.” The group of snipers met her gaze with unimpressed looks.” Cory snorted before raising her hands. Boone raised an eyebrow. “Even  _ I _ haven’t heard any of these.” He commented, reaching for a beer. It surprised him now that he was taking the time to think about it. Cory was a motormouth, always has been. Since the moment they began traveling together, she was constantly talking to him, even if he was just listening. She had been so  _ persistent  _ to get to know him, and he told her things he thought he would never tell anyone. Things about his past, about his wife...how bad things were coming for him. He glanced at Bitter-Root. He couldn’t tell her everything, not yet. He doesn’t deserve someone as sweet and selfless as her...and if he tells her about Bitter Springs, he’ll lose her for good. He’s not ready for that. Not yet. 

Cory raised her hands defensively. “I’m not bullshitting! I---honest to god just...don’t remember.” She said, rubbing at her sore shoulder as she pulled one of her knees up to her chest, her brown boots scraping against the gravel. 

Gorobets looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t remember?” He asked, implying for her to continue as interest spread across his face.

Cory sighed. “It’s not a fun story.” She said, trying to give them an out. Betsy scoffed, shaking her head. “Bullshit! You’ve heard our traumatic bullshit, let’s hear yours for a change!” 

Cory let out a huff of a laugh before nodding, pulling her other knee up and leaning against a cargo box. “Okay, okay...you guys ever remember hearing about that  _ wondrous  _ courier who made a  _ miraculous  _ recovery out of Goodsprings?’

Boone did remember. He had just gotten back from his night watch, and was listening to Mr. New Vegas’s broadcast, “ _ A package courier found shot in the head near Goodsprings regained consciousness and made a full recovery, now that’s a delivery service you can count on.”  _ He remembers feeling a twinge in his stomach. Surviving a shot to the head? You’d have to be one hell of a survivor to survive a goddamn bullet to the head. The connections clicked in his head and he glanced at Cory, his mouth dropping open. 

Cory smiled gently before pressing her fingers against her temple, brushing her small wispy bangs out of her face to reveal two large scars at the top right of her forehead. The scars themselves looked newly healed, pink and prominent, but showed the impact of a nasty wound. “Seven months ago, I woke up in a doctor’s office in Goodsprings. I couldn’t remember anything, who I was, why I was there...not even my own name. Turns out, someone tried to kill me. Shot me twice in the head and buried me alive, left me for dead. This...robot saw it happen and dug me out, brought me up to the Doc and somehow he managed to save me.”

Her audience was entrapped, all members of the battalion staring at her in shock. 10 of Spades broke the silence first. “Wait, that c-courier was you? Cory…? Wait h-hold on--” 

Cory nodded. “Yep. The only thing I had on me was a note, a courier job. I was courier number six, supposed to deliver some kind of poker chip to New Vegas. Hence my name, Cory Sixe, or I guess Courier Six.” 

Boone felt his heart drop, looking at her in shock. “ _ You  _ were the courier left for dead in Goodsprings? Seriously? How did...how can someone even survive something like that?” 

Cory shrugged, taking the last sip of her drink. “It wasn’t easy. I couldn’t remember anything. Couldn’t take care of myself. The first few months of my life consisted of learning how to walk, eat, talk. Learning why our world looks the way it does. Doc tried to put together some exercises for me, to see if I remembered anything from before I was shot, but I didn’t. Still don’t. All I know is that it was a man in a checkered black-and-white suit. And this.” She reached into her pocket, pulling out the lighter Boone always saw her fiddling with. 

She sighed, flicking the lighter open before pushing down the little gear that caused it to light, shutting the lid to extinguish the flame before repeating the process. “I’m assuming I was killed over the package. I was carrying something important, and was only collateral damage to the guy who wanted it. I was so  _ desperate _ to get to the Strip and hunt him down...but now? I think I’m afraid that once I finally get to him, it’ll be the end of the little I know about my past and I’ll lose myself all over again.” She snapped the lid shut before laughing humorlessly, glancing at the soldiers. “I told you guys it was a bummer of a story.”

Betsy scoffed gently, putting down her flask of whiskey. “Jesus, babe. And you don’t remember  _ anything _ ?”

Cory’s face grew serious, distracted, as though she was trying to cling to a memory that she could barely hold on to. “It’s weird...I can kinda remember being shot? I remember...the  _ fear _ and how tense my body was, I remember crying, and the guy saying something about the ‘ _ Game being rigged from the start?’... _ and that’s about it.” 

Boone glanced at her, hating the lost and haunted expression on her face, wanting to do anything he could to make it disappear forever. He couldn’t imagine. Despite everything he’s been through...he  _ wants _ to remember all of the bad things he’s done. It fuels him, keeps him going. He can’t imagine not being able to remember  _ anything.  _

Sterling made a sympathetic noise with a click of his tongue. “Jesus, kiddo. I can’t imagine.” 

Cory looked up and smiled. “You know what though? I’m actually grateful for it in a way. I’m forced to live in the now, and it makes me appreciate everything I have and everything I get to do.” 

Bitter-Root felt his stomach drop at her sentence, the realist in him wanting to warn her, protect her of the horrors of the wasteland, keep her from losing this earnest ideal when someone takes advantage of her kind heart. He couldn’t bring himself to do so, not having the heart to crush her statement. 

Gorobets looked away, taking a long sip from his flask. He had never met someone so kind and helpful in the wasteland. Someone who doesn’t care for money or power, someone who truly only wants to help, someone who wants to do good. A person like Cory only came around every once in a blue moon, and he would make damn sure that nothing would happen to her. 

Cory smiled, leaning forward to tap Sterling’s boot. “That’s why I admire you so much, Sterling.” The older man frowned, tilting his head. “Now what can you admire from an old man like me?” She shook her head, her smile genuine. 

“You don’t let injuries hold you back, or define how you have to live. I mean sure, I could spend my entire life bitching about how I was shot, and cursing the man who did this to me... _ or _ I can move on and make it work. You didn’t let what happened to you dictate the rest of your life,” She looks up, nodding at the rest of the members of the 1st Battalion. “None of you do. You’ve all experienced a crappy hand at one point or another, but you’ve learned from it. You’re willing to seek help, rely on others and fight for a better future. A lot of people aren’t capable of that, but you guys are, and I think that’s pretty cool.” She finished, nodding at the group. 

Sterling felt pride swell in his chest, looking around at these people who had become his new family, the people that took care of him after he was tortured. He had always had this insecurity, a tiny voice in the back of his mind telling him that he was an old man, well past his due date. Cory’s statement made him realize how far off he was. 

Betsy swallowed sharply, her sunglasses thankfully hiding the tears welling in her eyes. Cory had come to her previously, only a few days after knowing her, and convinced her to seek medical help for her trauma. Not only that, but the younger girl also vowed to hunt Cook-Cook down and make him pay. Betsy had seen the fire in her eye and written her off, but now she can see how genuine Cory was. And she didn’t want her going anywhere near those fuckin’ fiends. Those assholes won’t lay a  _ finger _ on this absolute angel. 10 of Spades reached over, taking Betsy’s hand and squeezing it slightly. The two soldiers' eyes met, and the promise he was making was clear.  _ I won’t let anything happen to you. Never again.  _ He was proud of this team, proud of his family, and he would do everything in his power to show his worth and prove himself.

Boone couldn’t help but smile. Every single day, Cory does something new that surprises him. Giving Med-X and stimpacks to a Powder Ganger, launching headfirst into legion territory to rescue hostages, carrying an NCR soldier's body across the wasteland so the family can be reunited. Looking over at the woman, he knew. He will stay by Cory’s side, for as long as she’ll have him. 

Cory yawned, completely oblivious to the protective soldiers around her. “Anyways, sorry if I ruined the party a little. I’m knackered, so I’m gonna head to bed I think. Thanks for the cola, Betsy.” She took slowly, only to groan at the soreness in her body as she hunched over, Rex rising with her. Boone stood up with her, helping her up and nodding at the battalion. They all said their goodnights before Boone led her over to the battalion tent, to the cot they were using, Rex trotting behind them. “I should’ve gone with you. I don’t like you out there without backup.” Boone said, taking off his sunglasses as she laid down. “It’s fine, Boone. I wanted you to be able to spend some time with them. They’re good people.” 

Boone could only smile.  _ So are you _ , he wanted to say. 

The brown-haired girl pat the bed beside her, Rex jumping up onto the cot and curling into her side. “Goodnight Boone. Goodnight Rex.” She mumbled, asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Boone tried to ignore the warm feeling he felt at the sight of her, shaking his head as he reached down and slipped off her boots, pulling the blanket up and over her and the cyberdog. He laid down in his own cot, watching her chest rise and fall as she slept. A smile spread over his lips as he closed his eyes. 

_ Don’t worry, Six. I got your back.  _

**Author's Note:**

> pls maybe if you wanna leave a kudos and a comment? they make my week <3


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